Source IANS: Following intensified directives from Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Indian anti-narcotics agencies have ramped up operations to dismantle drug syndicates across the country. Recent efforts have specifically targeted the Dawood Ibrahim network, which remains a major player in the narcotics trade and a key financier of terror activities in India.
Officials reveal that in response to these crackdowns, the Dawood syndicate is actively seeking alliances with international cartels, particularly in South Africa and Mexico. While the network has long-standing influence in South Africa, its engagement with Mexican cartels represents a new strategy aimed at sustaining the flow of narcotics into India.
Significant signs of this collaboration surfaced when the Indian Coast Guard seized a large consignment of drugs from a fishing trawler in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on November 25. Investigators believe the seized shipment was linked to the new international networks that the Dawood gang is attempting to leverage.
The Mexican cartels, known for their capacity to move large quantities of narcotics, are expected to target southern Indian markets, while traditional routes through Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Gujarat continue under the Dawood network’s control. Indian agencies note that the use of multiple international partners poses operational challenges due to unfamiliar smuggling methods and new foot-soldiers within India.
Two key facilitators, Haji Salim, operating from Pakistan, and Salim Dola from Turkey, are reportedly managing these international connections. Dola, in particular, specializes in the production and smuggling of synthetic drugs like mephedrone, complicating enforcement efforts further.
Sources highlight that the Dawood network’s operations are not only financially motivated but also tied to terror funding. Around 80 per cent of terror financing in India is allegedly routed through his syndicate, creating high stakes for both the syndicate and Indian security agencies.
The Intelligence Bureau and other central agencies remain vigilant, monitoring the evolving strategies of the Dawood network and its new partners. The ongoing challenge is compounded by the involvement of Pakistani intelligence, which allegedly seeks to maintain multiple fronts for drug smuggling to fund anti-India activities.
Dawood’s operations, dating back to his relocation to Pakistan post-1993 Mumbai blasts, have been reportedly supported under a deal that requires a portion of his earnings to fund terror groups. With Indian enforcement intensifying, the syndicate is under increasing pressure to sustain its international narcotics links to maintain both revenue and protection.
As Indian agencies continue their crackdown, the focus remains on intercepting new smuggling routes and disrupting the syndicate’s international collaborations to prevent the inflow of narcotics and the funding of terror operations in the country.
Source IANS.
